Legal Question in Criminal Law in Florida

A few years ago I had a withhold of adjudication for possession of paraphernalia. Now I'm attempting to fill out an application for an apartment rental and there is a question that states "have you ever been convicted of any criminal offence or entered a plea of guilty or no contest to any criminal offence or had any criminal matter disposed of in a manner other than by acquittal or by finding of not guilty. My question is if I took a first-time offender deal and the charges were dropped do I have to respond yes to that question on the application?


Asked on 6/25/16, 5:32 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Craig Epifanio Craig Epifanio, P.A.

First of all, you should understand that a withhold of adjudication does not mean charges were dismissed. However because it was a withhold of adjudication you have not been convicted and therefore you can say no to the question as to whether you have been convicted or not. Now with that said you should understand that it may still show up on a background check. I would suggest you get an attorney so that you can get the charge sealed. It is about a 4 to 6 month process but in the end it will be worth it.

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Answered on 6/25/16, 8:55 pm


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